PHP array_push Function

last modified March 13, 2025

The PHP array_push function adds one or more elements to the end of an array. It's a convenient way to append values to an existing array.

Basic Definition

The array_push function pushes elements onto the end of an array. It modifies the original array and returns the new number of elements.

Syntax: array_push(array &$array, mixed ...$values): int. The first parameter is the array to modify, followed by values to add.

Basic array_push Example

This demonstrates adding a single element to an array using array_push.

basic_array_push.php

<?php

$fruits = ["apple", "banana"];
$count = array_push($fruits, "orange");

print_r($fruits);
// Output: Array ( [0] => apple [1] => banana [2] => orange )

echo "New count: $count"; // Output: New count: 3

This adds "orange" to the $fruits array. The function returns 3, the new count of elements. The original array is modified.

Adding Multiple Elements

array_push can add multiple elements at once to an array.

multiple_elements.php

<?php

$numbers = [1, 2];
$newCount = array_push($numbers, 3, 4, 5);

print_r($numbers);
// Output: Array ( [0] => 1 [1] => 2 [2] => 3 [3] => 4 [4] => 5 )

echo "New count: $newCount"; // Output: New count: 5

This adds three numbers (3, 4, 5) to the $numbers array. The function returns the new total count of 5 elements in the array.

Using array_push with Associative Arrays

array_push works differently with associative arrays compared to indexed ones.

associative_array.php

<?php

$user = ["name" => "John", "age" => 30];
$count = array_push($user, "New York");

print_r($user);
// Output: Array ( [name] => John [age] => 30 [0] => New York )

With associative arrays, array_push adds elements with numeric keys. The "New York" value gets index 0 since it's the first numerically indexed element.

Alternative Syntax with []

The [] syntax is often simpler than array_push for adding single elements.

alternative_syntax.php

<?php

$colors = ["red", "green"];
$colors[] = "blue"; // Equivalent to array_push($colors, "blue")

print_r($colors);
// Output: Array ( [0] => red [1] => green [2] => blue )

The [] syntax is cleaner for single elements but array_push is better for multiple elements. Both modify the original array.

Performance Considerations

array_push has different performance characteristics than the [] syntax.

performance.php

<?php

$largeArray = range(1, 100000);

// Test array_push
$start = microtime(true);
array_push($largeArray, 100001);
$timePush = microtime(true) - $start;

// Test [] syntax
$start = microtime(true);
$largeArray[] = 100001;
$timeBracket = microtime(true) - $start;

echo "array_push: " . $timePush . " seconds\n";
echo "[] syntax: " . $timeBracket . " seconds\n";

For single elements, [] is generally faster than array_push. However, for multiple elements, array_push can be more efficient than multiple [] operations.

Best Practices

Multiple Elements: Use array_push for adding several values at once.
Single Element: Prefer [] syntax for cleaner code.
Return Value: Utilize the count return when needed.
Associative Arrays: Be aware of numeric key behavior.

Source

PHP array_push Documentation

This tutorial covered the PHP array_push function with practical examples showing its usage for adding elements to arrays.

Author

My name is Jan Bodnar, and I am a passionate programmer with extensive programming experience. I have been writing programming articles since 2007. To date, I have authored over 1,400 articles and 8 e-books. I possess more than ten years of experience in teaching programming.

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